Black Retribution
by Padfootsshoe
Summary: Have you ever wondered about exactly what happened to Sirius when he found his best friends dead? About when he confronted Peter and ultimately had his life snatched from him? [One-Shot]


I wrote this piece over a year ago for my English GCSE. I was desperate to post it but was worried about it getting me disqualified if I posted it before they marked all of my work. So here it finally is. I always wanted to write about this particular event, as some of you may know about my Sirius obsession. If not check out my other story, Spinning from Grasp. Please review, it would make my day.

Sirius Black sank down into the rubble that represented his crumbling mind. The dark, desolate, deathly house swallowed all joy in its gaping mouth as the burning sun began to rise on the horizon, stinging Sirius's eyes as he stared at the runs he once called home. Sirius would have blamed the mass murderer that went by the name Voldemort, but all he could do was see his best friend's face as he promised to keep the Potter's location secret. The rat he had once called a brother had betrayed James and Lily Potter. He was going to regret it.

All through school Sirius had known he could count on his three best friends, James, Remus and Peter. There was a war going on, a vicious war with many casualties and they all recognised the importance of unity. There were tensions, but Sirius had never thought any of them could betray another, especially poor, timid Peter. If only it had been Sirius with the task of protecting the Potters. If only he had never suggested it be Peter, 'if only'…

When Sirius had heard the child's cries coming from the Potter's house, he thought that maybe there was hope; hope that the Potters could live on in their son Harry, that Sirius could bring him up to live the sort of life James would have wanted for him. So elated that maybe his whole life wasn't over, Sirius hadn't even cared about the small scar on Harry's forehead that, looking back on it, was blatantly caused by dark magic.

'There there, Harry boy, we'll be okay, you'll see, we'll go find Remus and… no don't look over there, you don't want to see that,' Sirius whispered to Harry, scared to break the stagnant silence that had fallen since Harry saw Sirius's familiar face. Making sure that Harry's big, green, innocent eyes were looking at his, Sirius stepped over the lifeless body of Lily Potter, her own eyes, now looking as innocent as Harry's, trained on the ceiling, never to look upon Sirius again. Never to roll them at her husband and his best friend's antics as they used magic to make Harry laugh and clap his pudgy hands. Descending the ruined stairs of place he once thought eternal Sirius closed his eyes, Sirius wouldn't look at James, imagining him lying there would give him enough nightmares as it was. It was a wonder Sirius wasn't expecting the greeting that awaited him when he exited the house, tears rolling down his cheeks in a silent stream. If everything else had been taken away from him, why not Harry as well?

 _I'm his godfather, he belongs with me. I'll look after him, please. He's all I have left. Don't take him as well. He's just a boy. Where will he go? Not to those muggles, James and Lily would want him with me._

Now Sirius was alone. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped Remus would understand.

The wind chattered around Sirius as he walked calmly down a bustling London road. Anyone who were to glance at him would see a collected, if not determined, man off to work in a smart suit. However, if anyone were to take the time to really look at the man they would see the desperation and loneliness mingling in his eyes, building into a crescendo of pure fury. Turning down an alley, Sirius saw the man occupying his every thought, the man who had taken his whole life and crushed it in his weak hands, stealing all hope and joy from the black hole that was now his heart. Peter. Sirius's heart roared as Peter's face paled. It was obvious he had not been expecting him, hoping he would be able to stay one step ahead, but Sirius had found him.

'P-please Sirius you don't understand-'peter began to stammer, his eyes darting around the dank dead end he was now caged in.

'Understand? I don't understand?' Sirius interrupted in a calm, low voice. The quiet before the storm. 'My entire life has been ripped away from me and it's your fault. I saw my best friend lying dead on the floor, had to carry his SON over the body,' Sirius's voice had risen by this point, his artfully crafted façade starting to slip.

'The boy's not dead?' Peter's eyes snapped onto Sirius this point from their previous task of hunting for an exit.

'No, he's not dead,' Sirius said in a voice like death, his silver eyes turned black by rage. He strode over to where Peter was backed against a grimy brick wall and slammed his fist into it next to Peter's head. Screaming now, tears rolling down his face, 'BUT HE MIGHT AS WELL BE.' Peter let out a squeak and flinched as Sirius moved away from him. 'Why, Pete?' Sirius accidentally reverted back to Peter's old nickname, unable to keep the betrayal out of his voice as he whispered, his voice breaking, 'How could you do such a thing?' Sirius's back was turned from Peter as he tried to collect himself. Sirius had come here for one reason only, to turn Peter over to Azkaban, the only prison fit for scum like him.

'You don't understand. I was always the fourth wheel at school. Not the smartest like Remus, not the most athletic like James, not the most charismatic like you. I was the boy that didn't belong among the men. I got pink eye and cried when the teachers shouted at me. I was a loser and was always trying to keep up, but I was never good enough.'

Sirius turned around, looking at Peter's skinny frame and bulging eyes, too big for his face. Sirius remembered Remus tutoring him, James giving him Quidditch training, himself making sure Peter was alright and giving him girl advice. They had all been there for each other through school, because to them they were brothers, which meant more to them than anything else. Evidently not to Peter.

What happened next was a blur, a blur that Sirius would recollect time and time again, thinking about it in his darkest moments. Peter slipped past Sirius, running full speed towards the busy London traffic. Cursing, Sirius took off after him, always making sure Peter was in his sight. Peter would not be getting away this time. Entering a street lined with shops, Peter seemed to get lost in the crowd, but Sirius could smell a rat from a mile off. The street came to an end, less people were here but there was still enough for a crowd to gather as Sirius grabbed Peter by the scruff of his tatty, striped shirt and slammed him against the wall, his wand sticking dangerously into his throat as Peter cried silently, his hands scratching at the wall to the back of him.

'S-Sirius, w-hat? Y-you don't want to do this,' Peter rasped, the wand making breathing uncomfortable.

'I'm not going to kill you Peter,' Sirius snarled, eyes solid and saliva spraying from the corners of his mouth. 'You're about to have your first kiss, we all know how people love Dementors.' Sirius's voice had become cruel, unforgiving. He was past anger, past rage and fury. Sirius was an avenging angel. Dementors sucked out a person's soul with nothing but a 'kiss'. Good.

It all happened at once. Peter smiled a twisted, ravaged, hysterical smile. His want was out and Sirius was flying into the wall opposite, pedestrians screaming as blood poured from his mouth, screaming incoherently as Peter cut his own finger off using black magic, laughing manically all the while, madness in his eyes. Before Sirius could even begin to stand up Peter had killed a dozen people, dropping like flies as the blinding green light struck them, one after another. Muggles shrieked and ran, colliding and falling and crying. The utter terror meant that no one noticed that what was once Peter was now just a heap of clothes. No one, that it, except Sirius, who sat in a dazed stupor as a small rat scurried from the pile of clothes, leaving bloody paw prints in its wake.

Sirius's ears were ringing, he could barely hear the police sirens screaming in danger, see the red and blue bouncing off the brick walls. He did, however, notice when the Dementors appeared. Sirius started roaring. Like plunging out of a swimming pool, all noise sprang back into perfect clarity. Sirius was grabbed viciously, his hands clamped behind his back. Only certain phrases broke through the caterwaul of his voice.

'Killed his best friend and came for Peter next.'

'All that's left is his finger.'

'Azkaban.'

'Mass murderer.'

'Twelve dead muggles.'

'Dementor's kiss.'

'I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ME! I'M INNOCENT!' Sirius screamed, his voice breaking in desperation as he was dragged towards Dementors and everything seemed to freeze. Someone had to hear him. Sirius didn't deserve this. He had lost everyone, he couldn't lose his freedom as well. 'JAMES. JAMES HELP ME. JAMES I DON'T WANT TO GO! JAMES. James.'

All went black.


End file.
